Bellingham’s new budget adds police and firefighters, funds Racial Equity Commission
Bellingham’s next two-year budget adds police officers and firefighters, boosts mental health services, supports an office to combat climate change, plans for library expansion and includes $30 million to address homelessness.
Mayor Seth Fleetwood’s $844 million sending plan for 2023-2024 is broken into two parts for the first time, and it separates operating and capital expenses because new software allows that breakdown, said Forrest Longman, deputy finance director, in a presentation to the City Council on Monday, Oct. 3.
“This represents continued growth in revenue. It represents a slowdown in growth, but it assumes that our economy remains on a relatively stable footing,” Longman told the council.
It’s a departure from the 2020-2022 budget, which included furloughs and other belt-tightening measures amid economic uncertainty as the COVID-19 pandemic affected every city department.
In his budget message to the City Council, Fleetwood said he seeks to improve public services across the board.
“As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, this budget emphasizes meeting the expectations of our community with improved services, responsiveness and infrastructure. I want our city and our community to have the resources needed to build a stronger, safer and more equitable future,” Fleetwood said.
According to standard practice, the mayor’s proposed budget was introduced for consideration Monday with an overview that included highlights of the major projects that are planned over the next two-year spending cycle, which administrators call the biennium.
City Council members will spend the next several weeks in hearings that examine each department’s financial requests in detail before voting on the entire budget package.
Absent from the preliminary budget was funding for an immigrant resource center, but Fleetwood assured the council that if talks progress toward establishing such a resource, money could be made available.
Budget highlights
As proposed for 2023-2024, Bellingham’s budget:
▪ Adds two police officers each year, and maintains the four non-sworn community service officers proposed in September.
▪ Hires 19 firefighters to staff a second ambulance for basic life support, easing the burden for non-emergent medical calls on the city’s six combined engine-aid companies and leaving those crews available for more serious alarms.
▪ Funds an Alternative Response Team managed by the Whatcom County Health Department to respond to 911 calls that don’t require armed police.
▪ Expands the GRACE program of Ground-level Response and Coordinated Engagement for people who often call 911 or are the focus of 911 calls.
▪ Creates a Climate Change Office to work toward implementing the city’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.
▪ Proposes $30 million of investments in the Parks and Recreation Department, including a “major refurbishment of the Sportsplex,” park additions in Cordata, Bakerview, and development of the pier at Little Squalicum Park.
▪ Adds a pilot Bellingham Public Library branch at Bellis Fair mall and moves forward with plans for air conditioning and other work at the main library.
▪ Includes funding for the proposed new Whatcom County Racial Equity Commission.
▪ Earmarks $30 million for affordable housing and social services programs aimed at easing homelessness.
